Engovatov

> Can't go wrong with a Manta I remember somebody made a new door in a barn under it.. ?

> How is canopy size measured? (area, square footage...) > I look forward to all replies. A dominant company on the market comes up with one solution, and others do tug along, so that some consistency in such an important question as loading selection is observed. When some other company thinks they know better, and come forward with some different measure, people get tired of saying "I have XXX, but it is really YYY for 95+% of other canopies", so that this company gives up, and starts measuring just like that other 95+%.. Good enough? ;-)

> no But there IS a difference in Safire sizing. My Safire 160, packs, flies and being put on top is very much like 150 Sabre. Billvon measured it carefully and reported it here. Many other people did it. They can't be ALL wrong. I am puzzled.

>The base file for the Safire was initially labeled "Safire 125". It was stated some time ago that the difference is due to the difference between bottom skin and upper skin area - PD measuring the bottom skin, while Safire measured by the upper skin fabric area. May it explain the difference that you just inadvertingly compared bottom to the top?

> Well, keep in mind that if you do pull G's, your weight > increases at the same time the front riser pressure does, > so the riser pressure still won't exceed your weight (even > though you may weigh twice what you normally do.) Yeah, yeah.. let's be pedantic.. ;-)

>Some canopies have high front riser pressure and some have low, but it will never, ever exceed your weight. ...unless you pull some serious "g"'s carving a turn that is..

> i don't have a particular "fuzzy feeling" about hybrids. there heavy, slow, I have read an article about hybrid development currently done at BMW, and they mention that an electric assist can make a 200hp car feel like 350hp car in acceleration. The key being that electro motors have essentially full torque available at 0rpm - really flattening your overall torque curve. And if you remember that your 0 - 60 time is ~ integral of the torque over time, you would not dismiss them as slow..

>that it was something like 15 seconds at 30k. Considering that people do dives, without aqualung, from 1 to 4 minutes, that can't be true, I would speculate.. The fact that at some altitude your blood will boil at body temperature may make a difference..

>Just an FYI here: I suggested this to Barry quite a while ago > and he wasn't interested. I may contact him again. At the > same time, as I said earlier I'd only be interested in doing > this if I can do something with value add. To that extend it >doesn't really make sense just to wrap his data. Maybe self or friend reported non-fatal accidents (in a form of a moderated forum) can be useful - there is abunch of posts in Safety and gear sections that may be relevant (but hard to find, if you just want to browse some unfortunate experience information) Like paragliding accidents page here maybe: http://www.web-partners.com/paragliding/acc.html

> They asked I answered. No I love Atair spiel, just my opinion. >A canopy is only as good as the company that stands > behind it, my experience was that Icarus screwed the > pooch. I didn't bash Icarus with specifics, name call or > finger point. > So kiss my ass. *They* asked whether Crossfire is safe, not about your yet unexplained and unknown grudge against Icarus reps and your personal preferences. Your answer was irrelevant, thus stupid. As for my reply - yes you can find (though somewhat toned down by moderators) Dan's (cobaltdan) statements amounting to Crossfire being a flying deathtrap, that he is out to prove it is fundamentally unsafe and responsible for the death of his friend (I assume Lisa G.) - by means of a NASA and "other space agency"(?) commisioned tests - and that he expects Icarus to go under in a matter of months. This, unlike your yet to be explained problems, is a fact, sir, and it does not amount to "being straight" dealing with competitors. If you think your rude language and dimeanor helped in improving Atair image, my best guess would be that you are mistaken. (P.S. I am not a parachute expert, and I do agree that Cobalt is a very high quality parachute)

>Keep skydiving thriving homeside. Buy USA! Where does PD sew their canopies?

>Atair has been straight up. If by "straight up" you mean bashing competitors on public forums, dropping hints of BOGUS NASA "tests" and other F.U.D., then yeah, maybe..

>172.5 pounds for an expert under a Silhouette 150 - see the specs here. Huh? Maximum recommended loading for "advanced" jumper at 1:1.0 ? It really smells of blatant ass covering for lawsuits. Everybody and their grandma load at 1.0 right off student status, so if somebody screws, there is one extra warning label to avoid blame. What is the point in recommendations that almost nobody follows?

>When did this become a discission about my canopy skills anyway? Do not know, but you definitly have a knack of making one.. ;-)) Why do I have a strange feeling that you, Robert, is trying to prove something to yourself, having doubts, and friendly net folks just smell the possibility to nag you? And, or, yeah - my canopy is bigger then yours.. nyah, nyah, nyah.. ;-)

>Climbers don't get anywhere near terminal during the longest screamer and the rope, with a stretch of several percent under moderate loads, provides shock absorbtion not available in modern parachutes. I wish it was so. Factor 1 fall easily generates above 5g. Fall directly on belay can be much worse (recent double death on Middle Cathedral in the Valley? - ripped 4 pieces out of granite) Let's imagine you fall 50m (full rope length - it happens). Your terminal speed sqrt(2*g*h) = 30 m/s. Let's imagine you got a very good rope that stretches 10% with perfect efficiency (constant force when stretching). To stop within 5m you will need a constant accelaration of v^2/2s = 90 ~ 9g. Since the world is not perfect - even for rather short falls shock loads of up to 15g can be expected and that is reflected in typical specs (>15kn (3000lb) for belay loop) As far as wear and tear - I almost chewed through a legstrap on a single off-width once...

>Paraglider harnesses are like this Paraglider harnesses I have sit in are more like a belay chair - still suspended on the outside of the hip. I was talking mostly about suspending leg loops more in front/inside - like on climbing harnesses. There is never a problem to rich the ground when repelling.. You also do not rotate more then 90 - you bend you legs at the hip - torso is still just slightly past vertical. Belly band also is not the equivalent - load is still goes along sides of your body - not closer to the front - and along the back. And you can not flip over is such configuration - it is a similar configuration on rescue and work harnesses. And I think that ability to tighten the swami, and having handles better protected and shifting less - and not needing any rings, will improve safety.. besides comfort.. Ah, well, just a thought.. whatever..

Got this idea into my head while answering Mirage Bill's poll, and can not shake it out - help needed to shut it down (or not) It looks like the major configuration for all harnesses is the same. Leg loops, with attachment point on the side of one's hip, going in to main lift webbing and thin, non-load bearing chest strap. Not the most comfortable leg loops configuration - my climbing harness, with leg loops attached on the inside of my legs is much more comfortable and allows for unrestricted movement. Swami belt sits tight, and the whole configuration is bulletproof and very comfortable - climbing harnesses see shock loads and wear and tear that is likely higher then for the parachute ones. Why not to use such configuration on a parachute harness? First, start with a wide and comfortable swami belt with front double pass-thru buckle in the middle. Main lift web come from your shoulders and attaches to the swami about 3 inches on each side of the main buckle - maybe a bit wider for females. It continues and the leg loops are attached on the inside - like climbing harness ones (see http://www.mistymountain.com/products/ or petzl's rescue page - http://www.petzl.com/petzl/statique/wr/uk/rescue/rescue.html for example of such attachments and leg loop construction; something like this: http://www.petzl.com/petzl/statique/wr/graphics/C/C67.jpg combined with a belt from this http://www.petzl.com/images/produits/fiche/C57.jpg) The buckle on the leg loop probably should be easier to adjust that a typical climbing one. Release handles are attached outside of the main lift web - over the swami - about the same position they are now. They can not fold under, they will not shift - as the belt can be tightened (unlike chest harness) Probably will need two more buckles on the sides for tightening - non detachable types.. Container is attached to the back of the belt - second load bearing tape goes along the back - so you do not flip back. Because the swami belt can be kept tightened - container will not shift, while preserving full range of motion. Chest and hip rings will not be needed; as such configuration is inherently more fitting and flexible. I can squirm in an offwidth, or stem, or just hang without any heavy and expensive hardware ($300 for couple rings?? Top of the line climbing harness is around $100. And I bet - it is not less reliable..) Overall - I think such configuration will be safer - for the reason that release handles are easier to access, will not shift, fold under or get covered by clothing. Also harder to forget to fasten the middle buckle. More comfortable - just hang in a good climbing harness to compare. Better range of motion, while with a much tighter fit - due to the tightened swami belt. Violent deployment will be less likely to break your back as the direction will be more favorable and lumbar support present. Those well endowed will have less pinching to fear. Is it time to rethink the basic configuration? ..What do you think?

Bulletproof quality - stitching, choice of materials, hardware. I just like all my gear to feel and perform very, very solid - over engineered in a sense. From your list - I voted flaps - that what differentiated it for me.. Not the lightest, not the flashiest.. Mirage looked like the best choice to me - got one.. Will buy another (well, will take a look at Vector as well).. All else being equal - I would really like to be able to put a widest range possible of main canopies in it.. ( - like having a adjustible/second D-bag and a second position for main closing loop on main flap and a split bottom - a-la in a wingsuit deployment modification??) Pet peeve - leg hardware (mine was DOM March 2001) - I have seen a lot of better buckle designs in climbing harnesses. Actually - is it possible to make a climbing harness style container? - with wide belt in lumbar region and loops - I have landed much more violent then the opening shock fall onto my Cadillac Big Wall and can sit in it for hours with comfort - something that a 5 min canopy flight is more troublesome at... Also - having a swami belt, instead of a chest strap will eliminate problems with cutaway/reserve handles rolling under and with clothing getting over them. One also can tighten it up - something you can not do with your chest strap, fixing container (attached to the swami belt were the haul loop goes behind) in place much tighter then the current system does.. I have seen such designs on a full body rescue harnesses, caving harnesses - just the main load attachment point will be not in front, but more to the sides... And definitely take look on how Misty Mountain and Petzl do their belts and loops. Verry comfy..

>I've had at least a couple of pc's in tow that lasted 2-3 seconds Hm. My Mirage's PC felt going out pretty fast, compared to the rental rigs.. Is it THAT much slower then other rigs? Cause it maybe the way you throw it, or pack your bridal, or 100 other thing that we really need Bill Booth to tell us about.. Even though we do not jump Vector ;-)) But we may order a PC from him.. ;-)

>Well I just checked the pilot chute of my Mirage G3, bought >in August of 2000, and guess what, according to Bill's > aritcle up top, they put the support tape on the mesh on > wrong (that is, not on the "bias") and it stretches below the > apex. This kind of pissed me off. A company like Mirage > doing this??? That is surprising. damn, this sucks. > My openings, ever since I got my rig, have almost always > had a delay from when I throw out to when I feel the pin get > pulled. Personally, I would not get overly worried about the mesh direction. Apex sounds like a bigger deal. On the other hand - some "delay from when I throw out" to the pull of the pin is probably a good thing, is not it?

>Not even close. Well, maybe as a physicist I am used to define "ballpark" as "order of magnitude" ;-) Well - at least we know there may be an overlapping regime. My point was that it should be quite feasible to maneuver a wing suit onto a reasonably sized slope, just as it is possible to land a high performance canopy or a hanglider..I was not talking about touchdown speed .. Then, as we know for a fact that a controlled touchdown with packed snow, with speed along the surface well above 65 - 80 mph is survivable (speed skiing is routinly exceeding 100 mph)... we just need to find a crazy enough guy to do it - he will live. Wingsuit at 35mph descent, 65mph velocity landing on ~30deg slope is 50% slower then a speed skiing fall.. The problem is - all crazies are jumping motocross bikes or drag race on streets - they do not have enough money/persistence/intelligence to learn skydiving.. ;-) Come on - we need just one guy..

>I have two children, a staff of 50 people, and an ex-wife who depend of me for their livings. What should I do? I would guess that people advising you to stop posting have to retake their Marketing 101 course. Most containers sold now do function well. By having that litlle better secret details in Vector - you will not win many new customers. By having your reputation as a guru well known, you will - too much is based on trust and perception in this area. Personally, I definitely will have much bigger chance to select or recommend Vector, because of your posts here - I did not even know who you are, and why I should trust your worksmanship previously. (Chose Mirage ;) - really nice rig, drool over this new unisyn rings now, have not had them.. Vektor was second choice.. just little less sexy, for whatever reason.. Marketing?) And besides that - if you advice saves single live - karma will pay off. It will. Shutting up would not. ;-) Your reputation is an asset as valuable as your actual knowledge, when it come to selling.. Just my $0.02 Sincerely.

>So, if your spotting skills and depth perception are a little off do you Given that modern canopies have speed in the same ballpark as the wingsuit, and people do land them, every now and on, I would guess that hitting a chosen slope, mile long, is not the hardest part.. If anybody decides to do that I would sure go to watch.. ;))

>The scary thing about penis size is that if the average size is 5-6 inches and there are quite a number of them about 8-9 inches...that means that there also has to be some 2-3 inchers out there. Take another statistics class - the distribution need not be symmetrical ;-) Remember that old anekdote about a nimpho, who scored a big fat biker hoping for a real tool, and when she sees his 2-incher, she goes "Oh, damn, whom are you going to satisfy with THIS", and he answers: "Myself".. ... Mine fits perfectly. :-)

>personally i would take a huge powder covered 50 degree mountain slope From my skiing experience - nice smooth packed snow is much better. You just need to minimize velocity component perpindicular to the slope and keep your extremities together... Landing a long jump into powder nearly broke my back as I dug in and was thrown out. I guess that having a smooth stiff boots to slide on, and contacting snow with your feet first and airbraking after that will allow one to survive. Hey, speed skiers regurarly fall at close to 100mph..